Solid Wood Floors, Solid Wood Flooring and Solid Wood Floorboards

Most desired and treasured part of a homes decoration in a customers minds is a home that has real hardwood flooring. Ask any estate agent they will confirm that a home that has hardwood flooring will sell faster and for more money. Reclaimed Hardwood floors will add warmth and beauty to any home and it is the most desired floor covering and will increase the value of any home.

Solid wood flooring is 100% hardwood milled from timber. As a natural material, hardwood flooring reacts to changes in its setting, like moisture and extreme temperatures, which cause solid wood to shrink or expand. Reclaimed Solid Hardwood flooring is strong and durable and ready for today's busy lifestyles. Solid wood flooring is a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness varies from ¾” to 5/16”. Solid wood flooring can be installed above or on grade, and can be sanded and refinished several times during its service life.

Oak Floors are a common symbol of strength and endurance. It has strength for building purposes, the Oak Flooring is much prized for the beauty of its grain and texture, and the richness of its colouring after polishing. It is initially pale brown in colour but Oak wood darkens with age. There are many diverse species of the Oak from around the world, all of which vary greatly in appearance. Whichever variety you choose for your interiors, this wood will always guarantee your home a warm and natural feeling.

Solid wood flooring What is it? Each board is made from a single piece of wood, typically 18-20mm thick. All types of wood have a hardness score, which indicates how easily they can be damaged, dented or worn by everyday wear and tear. Solid wood flooring can be sanded back to restore the finish – the number of times is determined by how deep the tongue is set from the top of the board.

Where to lay it? Anywhere with a relatively constant atmosphere, particularly in hallways and living areas where you can show it off. Pros It looks fabulous and, provided it’s installed correctly, is an appealing feature if you decide to sell or let your home. Cons

Remember: Even the best wood flooring will react to the presence of moisture. In the dry winter heating months, moisture leaves the wood causing the wood floor to contract, which can leave unsightly gaps between each plank. In the summer months when the humidity is higher the wood will absorb excess moisture and expand and the gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture it may cause the wood planks to cup, or buckle. This is why it is important when installing a wood floor to acclimate the wood to the home from 4 to 7 days or more prior to installation and to leave the proper expansion gap around the perimeter and at all fixed objects. It is also important to keep the home's relative humidity level at between 30 - 50% or what the manufacturer recommends. Doing this will help minimize any movement within the wood flooring later.

Oak Floors, Oak Flooring & Reclaimed Oak Floorboards

Reclaimed Timber London have supplied reclaimed timber boards to hundreds of satisfied customers. Before you choose your particular Reclaimed Oak Floor discuss with you your preferences and the suitability of different species and individual reclaimed source. You should make sure you understand that reclaimed timber has 'character' which makes it so attractive in appropriate settings, which may include nail holes, mature knots, stains and so on.

For more information on the various types of reclaimed wood we currently hold in stock and to discuss your solid wood floor requirement please do not hesitate to contact us

Love reclaimed wood floors? It's no wonder. Reclaimed Wood is rich looking, warm, durable and easy to keep clean. It's still the most seductive and charming type of floor in a home. Reclaimed London will inform you how to size up the many types of wood floors available and make the choice that best fits your home and price range.

Solid hardwood floors are made of wood planks milled from a single piece of tree. Solid hardwood floors were originally used for structural purposes, being installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a building known as joists or bearers.

With the increased use of concrete as a Floor engineered wood flooring has gained some popularity. However, solid wood floors are still extremely common and very popular. Solid wood floors have a thicker wear surface and can be sanded and finished more times than an engineered wood floor. It is not uncommon for homes in England, Eastern Canada, and Europe which are several hundred years old to have the original solid wood floor still in use today.

Solid wood manufacturing

Solid wood flooring is milled from a single piece of timber that is kiln or air dried before sawing. Depending on the desired look of the floor, the timber can be cut in three ways: flat-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn. The timber is cut to the desired dimensions and either packed unfinished for a site-finished installation or finished at the factory. The moisture content at time of manufacturing is carefully controlled to ensure the product does not warp during transport and storage.

A number of proprietary features for solid wood floors are available. Many solid woods come with grooves cut into the back of the wood that run the length of each plank, often called 'absorption strips,' that are intended to reduce cupping. Solid wood floors are mostly manufactured .75 inches (19 mm) thick with a tongue-and-groove for installation.

Solid wood flooring is usually made from 3/4-in.-thick strips, either 1-1/2- or 2-1/4 in.-wide, or sometimes 3/4-in.-thick “planks, ” which are wider. It has a tongue and groove milled into the edges. When nailed through the tongues, the strips interlock to form a strong floor that feels solid underfoot. The strips are typically milled at random lengths up to about 6 ft. long. The finished floor shows random butt joints and strips displaying a wide variety of grain patterns, both traditional characteristics of a solid strip floor. A thick wear layer allows sanding and refinishing four to six times before it wears out.

Antique wood floors, or reclaimed wood flooring, are made of salvaged timbers from historic buildings in strategic parts of the country. Fashioned from the beams, paneling and floorboards of barns, warehouses and other structures, antique wood floors have a timeless and age-worn look and instantly fill any space with a sense of history and connection to the past. When you walk on antique wood floors, you can almost feel the spirit of the early settlers and developers who harvested and cut these planks by hand.

Reclaimed Wood Floors is London leading purveyor of antique wood floors delivering antique wood floors of unmatched quality and beauty.

Distressed wood flooring is for those wanting to create an extremely rustic old world feel. With large knots and blemishes as well as splits left unfilled it is easy to see why many people put distressed wood flooring in old houses. Distressed wood is a cost effective way of having worn looking wood in your home. Other alternatives such as reclaimed wood flooring are much more expensive mainly due to the man hours needed to uplift the flooring without damaging it, sorting it then fitting it again. With many homes now being fitted with under floor heating old solid reclaimed flooring is not suitable so Distressed Engineered Oak Flooring is becoming more widely used.

Distressed Engineered Flooring is made up of a top layer of highly rustic hardwood attached to a base of many tightly compacted layers of plywood to help strengthen the wood and give it excellent stability.

In years gone by if you wanted an old looking wood floor there would be no alternative but to both find some second hand reclaimed flooring and have it fitted at great expense, or to have a professional sculpt and hand distress new wood flooring. Both of these are extremely expensive and time consuming. With more and more different finishes and shades of distressed flooring coming on the market all the time it has made it a whole lot easier to find your perfect distressed engineered wood flooring and have it fitted relatively cheaply.